Gold for the Krka National Park

The Krka National Park is the first destination in Croatia and only the second national park in the world in history to win the Green Destinations Gold Award for sustainable tourism

On the eve of World Tourism Day, which is celebrated on 27 September, the Krka National Park was awarded the most famous destination certificate in the world: Green Destinations Award. This recognition is awarded at an international level to tourist destinations that make a special effort to take care of the sustainable management in tourism. Thus, the Krka National Park is the first destination in Croatia and only the second national park in the world in history to win the gold award since it has been awarded.

This prestigious award was given to the Krka National Park by Green Destinations, an international organization that sets model for assessing standards for sustainable tourism and rewards tourist destinations that want to preserve nature, protect the cultural heritage, and improve the lives of local residents.

The sustainable development of the Krka National Park is based on the preservation of natural values, the protection and preservation of the cultural heritage, visitor management, interpretation, and education, and cooperation with the local community. All these elements are part of the Public Institute’s strategic and developmental documents, and are implemented in the annual work programs and the everyday efforts of all employees, who work in a continuous and dedicated manner to apply the principles of sustainability in order to preserve this protected area in its original form for future generations. This has also been recognized through the extremely demanding certification model, which includes eighty-four strict criteria.

“We are proud because we have met the strict criteria of sustainable management in tourism and successfully finalized the demanding Green Destinations certification process. This required a comprehensive job of collecting and systematizing data that showed that theKrka National Park has been successfully working on implementing the sustainability model in its management vision for years and is applying it in practice. We are the first and currently the only destination in Croatia with a gold Green Destinations award, which shows that the Krka National Park is a leading example of responsible and sustainable management in tourism,” but also an open partner to local stakeholders in achieving common goals of sustainability, which was particularly sought after and emphasized through the certification process, said Nella Slavica, director of the Krka National Park, and added: “This is exceptional recognition at the world level, which makes us particularly proud, but also requires a great responsibility to keep up with global indicators and a constant effort to introduce new, even better, and more innovative practices in sustainable development“.

The gold award means that the Krka National Park is extremely dedicated to the sustainable management, protection of nature and culture and that it achieves high standards in sustainable tourism. For local residents, this can mean more visitors who appreciate nature and the cultural heritage, but also better management of tourism that brings benefits to the community, such as preserving resources and jobs. For a destination, receiving this award can help attract visitors looking for more sustainable options and with appreciation for places that preserve nature, culture, and the local population.

Green Destinations is a global, non-profit organization based in the Netherlands. The goal of this organization is to improve the sustainable development of tourist destinations and those involved in them, as well as to promote their recognition on a global level. Green Destinations advocates for the development of sustainable and responsible tourism, following the principles of the United Nations and the goals of the Global Council for Sustainable Tourism, which is why it enjoys a positive reputation among tourists and key participants in the development of tourism. Further, it offers great recognition on the global tourist market, presentation at tourist fairs, and in world guides.